ABSTRACT
The world of puppetry in Asia and the Pacific has a history that is both rich and diverse partly due to the vast size of the region and partly due to its importance as an art form in this part of the world. In all of these countries puppetry grew out of magic and religion; in some it remains connected to these while in others it has become simply an art of entertainment. In some countries-such as the Maori islands-puppet figures reveal their original forms as manipulated representations of religious idols. In others, puppetry remains part of a continuing exchange of cultural values. In the countries on which European colonialism was imposed, puppetry was simply one more addition and simply became another part of the community’s complex cultural fabric.
